Never Be Broken
by Ninja Goldfish
Summary: Fred closed the door behind him and glanced around the dark yard. "Hermione?" he called. He heard no answer and so he took a few more steps away from the house. "Come on, Hermione, before Ron's stomach digests the house," he joked. He heard a voice whisper "Imperio," before his mind fell calm, silent, and very obedient. M for language, violence and lemon. Marriage law. EWE
1. Dance with the Devil

Fred closed the door behind him and glanced around the dark yard. "Hermione?" he called. He heard no answer and so he took a few more steps away from the house. He looked toward the path that led to the little lake that bordered on their property. Shrugging his shoulders, he headed that direction. A rustling in the bushes caught his attention and he turned his head toward the sound. "Come on, Hermione, before Ron's stomach digests the house," he joked.

He heard a voice whisper "_Imperio_," before his mind fell calm, silent, and very obedient.

HG HG HG

Hermione sat on the grass beside the small lake, gazing across the smooth surface. There was no breeze to ripple the water, only the brilliant reflection of the nearly full moon shining out from the surface. She stared unseeingly at the picture and breathed deeply the fresh air.

The atmosphere in the Weasley house had been stifling. She loved the Weasleys as though they were her own family, but the fact remained: they weren't. Hermione had been unable to locate her family. Once the aftermath of the final battle had calmed, she had gone immediately to the home in Australia where she had left Wendell and Monica Wilkins. She hadn't planned on them not being there. She had sent the away in order for them to disappear, but she had never really expected them to disappear. The neighbors informed her that the couple had moved not too long ago, and that Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins had kept mostly to themselves, not leaving any neighbors an address by which to contact them.

Hermione was beyond distraught, but really there wasn't much that she could do. She tried every venue she could think of – which, considering that she was Hermione Granger, brain of the Golden Trio, was rather a lot of venues – but nothing came of them. So, worried and depressed, she had returned home. Unable to bring herself to stay in the house in which her parents had raised her, she had been welcomed in to the Burrow. However, she found herself struggling with the homey, loving atmosphere, wishing desperately that it could be her home and her family. It was this that brought her to be sitting outside, alone in the dark before dinner. Yet again.

She heard footsteps on the grass behind her and turned to see who had been sent to fetch her tonight. Really, they ought to just set up a speaker out here or something. It was where she could be found every night. Through the shadowy path leading through the woods to the lake, she could make out the tall lanky form of her favorite twin. She got to her feet and took a couple steps toward him.

"Fred? Is it time for dinner?"

FW FW FW

Vaguely in the back of his mind, he realized that he was walking without controlling his own actions and it troubled him. But he couldn't concentrate on why it troubled him, or focus enough to regain control of his own limbs.

A voice buzzed in the back of his mind _That's the mudblood. Tell her she's a mudblood whore!_

"You're a mudblood whore," he said absently. In his blurred state of mind, he didn't register the look of absolute astonishment and shock on her face. _You love mudbloods and whores get you off._ He could feel his body's reaction to this statement, and somewhere in his mind voices started whispering that something was very wrong. _Cast a silencing spell_. He pulled out his wand. "_Mufflatio_."

The misplaced voice in his head then whispered, _And now you're going to rape her._

HG HG HG

Something was very very wrong here. She was almost positive that Fred was Imperiused. But that was impossible… Who would have done that here?

The red head walked toward her with a blank expression.

"Fred? What's going on, Fred? What are you – argh!" she yelped as he shoved her roughly down on the grass. She scrambled, trying to get back to her feet, or at least off her back. The twin's sneaker-covered foot came down on her stomach, pinning her down with more force than she would have expected.

"Don't fight me, girly," he said in a dead voice. "You won't like it if I have to get rough with you."

Fear bubbled up in her belly and she squirmed underneath his foot. He dropped to his knees beside her, pinning her down by the shoulders as he swung a knee on either side of her.

"Stop!" she demanded. "Fred, stop it!"

He transferred his weight, sitting on top of her thighs, and stepping on her hands, pinning them down with his feet. She screamed in pain, begging him to stop. She knew what was going to happen to her if he couldn't break the Imperius. His hands went to the button of her muggle jeans and undid them quickly, shoving them roughly down. She wriggled her body and tried to kick her feet at him, screaming. She knew no one at the house would hear her – she had seen him cast the _mufflatio_. She bit down hard on her tongue in surprise as she felt his fist connect with her face sharply.

"I told you not to fight me."

She felt him pull down her cotton knickers and squeezed her eyes shut. This could not be happening to her. Not here. Not now. Not from him. She was going to be raped by him by the light of the moon reflecting from the lake and there wasn't much that either of them could do about it.

FW FW FW

The vague whisperings in the back of his mind that something was wrong were definitely strong stirrings now. He shouldn't be doing this. This was wrong. Why was he doing this again?

But the foreign voice in his mind was encouraging him, no, commanding him to continue. How could he say no…? It was impossible to even fathom refusing the voice, the unseen director.

And so he continued.

HG HG HG

There was no way that Hermione could just lie still and take this. Fred – no, she told herself, this isn't Fred – was pulling her clothing further down her legs, and not paying much attention to her. She took a quick inventory. Her legs were being fairly well held down by his weight. Her hands were firmly – and painfully – held down by his shoed feet. She launched her upper body upwards, swinging her head forward as powerfully as possible. It connected solidly with his shoulder, not doing much damage to him, but leaving her head reeling from the impact.

She earned another box to the head from him, and an emotionless "Stop that or I'll have to do some real damage." He pressed firmly down on her fingers with his tennis shoes. She heard something snap and pain exploded in her fingers.

She screamed again, tears springing to her eyes, and sobbed "Stop! Stop! Fred!"

He shifted above her and she choked on her own sobs when she saw him positioned over her, his enormous pink erection exposed and threatening. Her muscles clenched tight when he plowed into her, and she cried out in agony at the friction. A sob ripped from her throat as he ripped through her maidenhood mercilessly. Without pausing, he continued to thrust inside her. Pain coursed through her with every movement and she could feel warm, wet liquid trickling down her thigh.

Squeezing her eyes shut and clamping her jaw closed, she just lay there, in too much shock and pain to do anything but cry and wait for it to be over.

FW FW FW

Inside his mind felt like a bomb had gone off. He was screaming mentally at the top of his lungs that THIS WAS NOT RIGHT. STOP, FRED, STOP!

The voice pushed back, screaming _DO IT, BLOOD TRAITOR_!

He registered her screaming and crying in pain and fear, and begging him not to do it. Why didn't he stop? Why couldn't he make this stop?

Finally with a great wrench, he managed to throw the presence out of his mind. Immediately, Hermione came into focus and he pulled himself from her body, sprawling backwards into the grass and scrambling on his hands to get away from her.

"Oh merlin, Hermione, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, merlin please I'm sorry, I don't know what-"

"Fred," she sobbed out, scrabbling to cover herself, and crying out from the pain in her broken fingers. "Imperius," she choked. "I didn't know if you'd be able to-"

He pulled his pants back up hurriedly, and rushed to her side. "Hermione, are you okay? I'm so sorry, FUCK I'm sorry."

She reeled back from him, scooting backward on her hands to get away from him. Fear shone in her brown eyes. She bit her lip and stared at him with wide eyes, tears glistening in them.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Fred moving away from her again. "We need to get you back to the house and you need to be seen by a doctor. Oh merlin how… I'm so sorry, Hermione."

Hermione nodded and got to her feet slowly, wincing in pain. Instinctively he reached forward to help her and she jerked back, falling down again in her haste to get away from him.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" He backed off, fighting down his need to help her, to make this better. She got back up and he motioned for her to go ahead of him down the path toward the house. Slowly she shook her head, not taking her eyes off him.

Understanding dawned and he backed off hurriedly. "Yeah of course, I'll go first. God, Hermione, how could this happen?" He shoved a hand through his hair and started down the trail slowly, listening for her footsteps behind him. They were slow and hesitant, but she was following. The silence should have been peaceful – instead it was ominous, painful. As the wall surrounding the back garden came into view, he spoke up. "Should I go inside and fetch Mum first?" She was silent, and he craned his head to look at her. "Hermione?"

Her head bobbed hesitantly a few times and he opened the gate to let her into the garden. She stepped inside and edged away from him. He winced and told her, "Wait here," before loping to the back door and slipping inside with a backwards glance in her direction.

HG HG HG

Hermione wrapped her arms firmly around her middle and sank down onto the damp earth, her back pressed against the ivy-covered stone wall. She put her forehead on her knees and focused on taking deep breaths. She was in danger of hyperventilating, and she forced herself to breathe evenly. A garden gnome crept out of his home of a small hole under the weathered stone to watch her, leaning on the weather-beaten bricks. She neither knew nor cared of his presence.

She was terrified of Fred's return. She knew logically that it was not Fred that she feared. He had not been in control at the time of the violence. But her mind kept replaying the scene – Fred's body pinning her down as his engorged cock shoved into her resisting, unwilling center, ripping and maiming her untouched flesh. Over and over again she witnessed the attack, there on the garden floor. When the back door swung open with a creak, Hermione had to fight every instinct that was telling her to cringe away, to crawl backward into a dark corner and hide.

Molly Weasley closed the door behind her as Fred led her out into the moonlight. Hermione took a deep, steadying breath, and stood up from where she crouched. The garden gnome scurried back into his hole. Fred pointed toward Hermione and hung back while Molly strode toward her.

The motherly woman took one look at Hermione and said softly, "Hermione, what happened? Fred only said there had been an incident."

Hermione's eyes flew to him, begging for his help. He came closer to stand behind his mother. "I came to fetch her for dinner... On my way out to the lake, I was Imperiused. I did not see the culprit, and I don't know if they're still here."

Molly's face sobered up and she cast a silencing charm around the three of them. "What did they have you do?" The woman thought she could guess from the fearful expression and the silence from the normally confident young woman, but it needed to be confirmed before action could be taken.

Fred swallowed and looked away, shaking his head.

Hermione spoke up, her voice raspy, her tone vague and faraway. "Rape. And my fingers... they're broken."

Molly nodded, seeming unsurprised. "Right then, let's get you inside and I'll call Poppy. Kinglsey will also need to be informed of the incident so the aurors can be on the lookout." She reached toward Hermione slowly, watching her expression as she did so, and took hold of her upper arm gently. The woman shooed her son toward the house and led Hermione after.

Fred excused himself into the sitting room, where Hermione suspected he would head for a quiet place in the cellar, while Molly led her past the sound of voices in the dining room and up the stairs into Ginny's room, where she had been staying. Mrs. Weasley got the young woman settled in a chair, then headed back downstairs to send a floo call to Poppy at Hogwarts.

As soon as Molly had shut the door behind her, Hermione threw up her mental barriers, blocking everything around her as she stared at the door. All thoughts ceased and it was blissfully silent inside her head. It was as though the rest of the world did not exist, and as though the horrific evening had never happened.


	2. Absolute Zero

Molly stuck her head into the crowded dining room and called over the din, "George, see to your brother in the cellar!" Her head disappeared for a moment before popping back around the corner. "And don't any of you go sneaking around! This is a confidential matter."

George stood immediately from the table and walked quickly toward the cellar, shrugging in answer to the curious faces around the table. Having no idea of the sort of mood he would find his twin in, he opened the cellar door cautiously, peeking his head inside. "Fred?" His eyes zeroed in on his brother crouched on the floor cradling his head in his hands and rocking slowly back and forth, muttering to himself. He stepped inside, shutting, locking, and silencing the door behind him. "Mum sent me down," he explained, knowing his twin was listening.

Fred nodded silently and continued his rocking. George stepped closer warily. "Fred, what's happened?"

"I've done something terrible," he croaked without looking up. It never occurred to him that he wouldn't tell his twin what had happened.

"It can't have been so bad," George encouraged with a small chuckle. "This morning I chucked a garden gnome over the wall and the poor bugger flew schnoz first into a right big tree. Reckon I broke the little blighter's nose."

Fred didn't react to the story, and George's heart sank. Something big had happened. "I don't know how it happened. Someone was on our property. I don't know who it was or where they came from. I wasn't paying attention... How could I let my guard down after.. after everything?" George said nothing, letting his twin get the story out on his own. "Before I knew it, I was Imperiused. No more will. Merlin, George, d'you have any idea how it feels to have someone in your head telling you to do something? Making you do something you'd never do in a million years? And I had no choice. I was totally helpless. If I'd just been stronger... I could have fought it off.. Maybe I wouldn't have..." he trailed off, lifting his head to stare helplessly at his brother. His feet went out from under him and he hit the dusty stone floor with a plop.

George lowered himself to the floor across from Fred, leaning against the thick leg of an old wooden table. The news that someone had been on their land was disturbing, but not nearly as disturbing as Fred's reaction now. George was afraid to hear the rest of the story, afraid of what his brother had been forced to do. He very nearly didn't want to know what it was, didn't want to take on that burden of knowing. But Fred was his brother. His twin. His very best friend. They shared a bond that no one could comprehend, and he would gladly shoulder a portion of the burden if it would lighten Fred's own burden.

In a small, horrified voice, he whispered tightly, "I _raped her_, George." He choked on his own words and fell silent, breathing heavily for a moment. "It was like I was in a daze... But I remember it. I was there for it all. I heard her screaming, begging me to stop, but I couldn't. I just... couldn't break out of it. I wasn't strong enough to stop it all from happening. She tried to fight back. She tried to fit me off... And.. and I hit her. I broke her fingers. All of them, I'm pretty sure. I made her _bleed_." His eyes were agonized as he stared into the wide eyes so much like his own.

"Hermione?" croaked George.

Fred squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw, nodding his head once.

"Fuck," breathed his twin.

"Yeah."

HG HG HG

Hermione kept her eyes firmly stuck to the ceiling and clutched the sheets with her newly healed fingers as Madame Pomfrey poked and prodded between her propped legs. Her jaw was clenched so tightly it ached and her muscles would be sore the next day from the tension. The mediwitch kept up a steady stream of light chatter in a falsely cheerful voice, but Hermione paid no attention to it. She tried to pretend the woman was not there at all. She was largely unsuccessful. There was no blocking out this night.

It seemed to take an eternity for Madame Pomfrey to finish, but at last she retracted her instruments and folded the sheet down over Hermione's bare legs. "The good news is that there is no permanent physical damage. Your body will be sore for a few days, a week at most, then you'll be good as new. The psychological trauma will take more time to heal," she said seriously. "Understand that I am fully trained in those areas as well, if you find yourself in need of help in that manner. I am always willing to lend an ear and some professional advice." The mediwitch handed Hermione a small vial filled with an amber liquid. "To discourage unwanted pregnancy. I cannot guarantee one hundred percent, but the potion usually does its job."

Numbly, she took the vial from the mediwitch's hand. "He didn't..." She trailed off, unable physically to finish the sentence.

Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "He didn't have to. Any time there is intimate contact at all, there is a chance for fertilization to occur, however small."

The young woman nodded and swallowed the potion down. Pregnancy was absolutely not an issue she wanted to deal with, particularly not resulting from the night's events. "Thank you, Madame Pomfrey. I realize it was an inconvenience for you to come all the way out here at this time of day."

"Not at all. I am available at any time you need me, day or night. Hogwarts is only a floo call away. Now I believe those potions I gave you for pain should be making you sleepy about now, am I correct?" Hermione nodded vaguely. "Well then, I suggest that you rest, and I will be off. The best of luck to you, Miss Granger, and remember that I am here for you should you need me."

With a final pat on the shoulder, the mediwitch left the room. Hermione dressed quickly, then laid flat on the bed, snuggled warmly under a thick blanket, and yet still cold. Her eyes were fixed on the ceiling, so she didn't remember them closing as she drifted off to sleep.

HG HG HG

The morning dawned bright outside the Burrow. Hermione stirred from her sleep early, greeted by Ginny's soft snores from the other bed. Her sleep had been solid and uninterrupted, mostly thanks to the potions administered to Madame Pomfrey the night before. She was tempted to stay in bed all day and hide from the household. No one would blame her. But she was Hermione fucking Granger, war heroine, and she would not let this break her. Her stomach growled loudly. Food sounded nice, too. She hadn't eaten since lunch the previous day.

Slowly, she swung her legs out of the bed, wincing as her feet hit the cold wooden floor. Her toes sought out the slippers tucked partially beneath the bed and she slid them on, rising to face the morning. She stole a glance at Ginny to be sure she wouldn't disturb her. The girl was curled in a fetal position, drooling steadily, and snoring just as steadily. Out for a few more hours, most likely. If Hermione were lucky, so would be the rest of the house. She slipped out the door and crept quietly down the stairs, being sure to avoid the creaky stair just below the landing.

There wasn't a soul to be found in the kitchen at this hour – evidently Molly was taking a lie-in this morning. She rummaged around for a slice of bread, and magically heated it, crisping it to perfection just the way she liked it, before spreading strawberry jam liberally over the toast and taking a large bite.

Someone cleared their throat in the doorway and Hermione leaped into the air, dropping her toast, and nearly choking on the bite she had taken. She whirled around, coughing, to see a tall, lanky red head in the door. For a moment, she panicked, until she realized that it wasn't Fred, but his twin brother. George raised his hands and backed off a step.

"Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to startle you, Hermione. I didn't want to creep up on you in there."

She nodded quickly and conjured a glass of water with a swish of her wand. "Yes," she choked out after taking a swig, "thank you."

He moved slowly into the kitchen while she retrieved her ruined toast off the floor. Sighing, she vanished it and began on a new slice, careful to always have a feeling of where the twin was in relation to herself.

"How are you?" he asked quietly.

She turned her head toward him sharply. She hadn't considered that Fred would tell anyone what had happened, but of course it would make sense for him to have told George. The two shared everything. She really wasn't sure if they _could_ keep secrets. "I've been better," she admitted. "But I'll be alright. This will not beat me." She gave him a tight smile and took a bite of her toast – with peach preserves this time.

He nodded slowly. "He had nightmares all night, you know... I had to put up a silencing spell."

"I'm sure you did," she said soberly. "I was not the only victim last night... I'm almost positive Madame Pomfrey slipped me a mild sleeping draught, or I'd have had them too."

They fell into an awkward silence, the only sound between them the crunch as they ate their breakfasts.

"So this garden gnome yesterday..."

Hermione gave the Weasley boy a smile – small, but genuine – as he launched into the tale of the epic degnoming of the previous morning, complete with gestures and sound effects of the airborne gnomes.

Gradually the others began to trickle downstairs. Molly reclaimed her kitchen, and shooed them all into the sitting room, where Ron challenged George to a game of wizard's chess and Ginny sat in a worn purple armchair blinking blearily at her slippers. Hermione curled in an armchair, which was in rather better condition than the one on which Ginny was perched, and hid herself behind a book, though she wasn't reading it. She was waiting for _him_ to appear.

Though the twins no longer lived at the Burrow, they often still made use of their old room upstairs to stay the night rather than traveling to the little apartment above the shop. She was certain the place was magically enlarged – there was no way the twins willingly lived in a one bedroom, 40 square meter apartment. But the food was most certainly better here – unless they had inherited their mum's knack in the kitchen as well as her fiery red hair – and that was something she was sure their decidedly male appetites could appreciate.

She didn't have long to wait. She heard him on the stairs (unless there was an inferius in the house), dragging his feet and bumping every so often into the wall for support. She could feel George's eyes on her, and purposefully ignored him, turning a page of her book for emphasis and settling further into her armchair. Fred headed straight for a couch on the opposite end of the room and flopped onto it face down with a loud groan, while Harry, who had followed just behind Fred, settled himself on the floor in front of Ginny's armchair.

"Morning," Harry offered.

Fred grunted at the same moment that Ginny grumbled, "Stuff it, Harry. S'too early," and prodded him with her foot.

He didn't even glance in her direction, seemingly having fallen asleep on the couch, in fact, and she allowed herself to relax, though she had been unaware of her muscles tightening in the first place.

It was only when Mrs. Weasley called in that breakfast was ready and they all filed into the extra large dining room that things became a bit sticky.


	3. Right Between the Eyes

Right Between the Eyes

Hermione was the first into the dining room when Mrs. Weasley called them for breakfast, choosing a chair as far into a corner as she could manage. As the others shuffled in and slowly filled the table, she studiously avoided the gazes of those aware of the previous night's occurrences and loaded her plate with eggs, bacon, and oatmeal. She was reaching for the plate of strawberries when she felt the tension in the air and looked up. George, Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley were all staring at her intently. Confused, she looked around quickly. Her heart sank quickly as her gut twisted in cold, sickly fear. Fred had finally made it into the dining room, and there was just one seat left – the seat immediately on her right.

Fred was looking at her uncertainly, and she gritted her teeth. Hermione Granger, war heroine. Hermione Granger, war heroine. Hermione fucking Granger, war heroine. Hermione fucking Granger, fucking war heroine! She could sit calmly through breakfast. She could.

She nodded shortly and looked back to her plate, her muscles bunching painfully as he approached her. He stayed as far away from her as possible under the cramped conditions of a Weasley family meal, but he was still close enough that she could feel the heat from his body. She chewed mechanically, all her nerves on edge. Hermione could feel the curious and confused gazes of the rest of the family on her throughout the meal, and wondered vaguely what they had been told. Quite frankly, she didn't care. They could have been told that Fred had stolen her lucky rabbit's foot for all she cared. Or perhaps he'd been the one to sever the foot from the lucky rabbit. So long as they hadn't been told the truth. She was gripped by a bout of irrational panic, and she froze, her muscles stiffening.

What would they think if they knew what had really happened? Would they look at her differently? Of course they would. They wouldn't be disgusted by her, Hermione was not so naïve as to think that a possibility. But they would creep around her like a broken doll. Merlin forbid, they might want her to talk about it. That was not something she could have a conversation with Harry or Ron about. It wasn't a conversation she thought she could have with _anyone_ about.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped, letting out a small squeak of fear. Ginny retracted her hand instantly, shock written across her face.

"Hermione, are you alright? You just... froze up for a second."

Her eyes were wide as she looked around at the concerned faces around the table. They were all staring at her. She could feel the weight of their gazes closing in on her. She suddenly felt as though she would suffocate any moment.

"Sorry," she gasped as she shoved her chair back from the table and fled from the room.

HG HG HG

She found solace in the far corner of the garden, under the shade of a tree far older and wiser than herself. She fell to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest, moaning miserably. For the first time since she had been raped – she forced herself to use the word in her mind – she allowed tears to fall. Great wracking sobs seized her body and she let them come, crashing over her in waves, engulfing her and swallowing her whole. She didn't understand how a single event could change her entire perspective. How could ten minutes have turned her from a confident, strong young woman, to this bawling girl in the garden, unable to have a normal breakfast at the table?

"Hermione?" called Harry from the doorway.

She cursed to herself and tried to pull herself together, swiping at her tear-stained cheeks. She knew she must look a mess. She didn't cry gracefully, she turned into a swollen red-eyed blob and she knew it. Her traitorous tears continued to fall, and she sniffled slightly. "Yeah, Harry?" Her voice was wobbly, and she scowled.

He crossed the garden to her hiding place and stood awkwardly in front of her. He took in her appearance and looked away uncomfortably. "Uh, Ginny sent me out here to check on you. You okay?"

Hermione was quite sure Ginny would get a reprimand later for sending the defenseless boy to comfort a crying girl. "I'll be fine, Harry. Thank you for coming out here."

He nodded and shifted his weight nervously. "Do you need me to call your work and tell them you won't be in today?"

That made her sit up and she shot to her feet. "_Shit!_ I completely forgot I have to work today!" She glanced at her watch. She had an hour to get ready and get there for her shift. Her sense of duty would never let her miss work unless there were a true emergency, and this was certainly not considered as such. She rushed past Harry toward the house, leaving him concerned and very confused in her wake.

HG HG HG

The bell over the door of the bookshop jingled and Hermione rushed through, huffing and out of breath. Several customers looked up from their selections to stare. A few whispered, shaking their heads, before returning to their books.

The middle-aged, balding man at the counter frowned. "Miss Granger, you are late."

She nodded, bending over to put her hands on her knees. "I know. Sorry, Mr. Robinson."

His frown deepened. "Get on to work, then."

Straightening up, she hurried to the back of the store and into the lift, retreating to her little office upstairs. Hermione was the wizarding liaison for a very large novelty book store in London. She handled orders that would look a bit strange to the general employee population. _The Monster Book of Monsters_ would be a bit of a shock to poor timid Jessica – blond, blue-eyed, and very, very muggle. It wasn't a bad job, if a bit underpaid. But it helped her pay the small rent to the Weasleys that she had insisted on. The store wasn't exactly a hop, skip, and a jump away from campus, but she was a witch, wasn't she?

Hermione had chosen to continue her education at a muggle university after Hogwarts – the University of Oxford. Her entire tuition was paid for in combination of academic scholarship due to her grades at Hogwarts and awards granted by the Ministry for services rendered. She was studying applied physics – a choice which had many scratching their heads and wondering at her sanity – with an idea to put it together with her charms research when she finished.

She shook the cobwebs out of her head and looked down at the paperwork on her desk. The first order of the day was fairly straightforward, if idiotic. A bulk order of Gilderoy Lockhart's _Magical Me_. They apparently needed four hundred copies delivered to a remote island in the Pacific by the full moon to prevent a civil war breaking out between the island's villagers. Oh, dear, that did sound dire. (Really, she had a very strong curiosity about the details of that, but felt it better not to ask.) She rather hoped they would be using the books to light their torches, but she kept that thought to herself as she checked their stock and verified the order to be sent to the warehouse for shipment.

FW FW FW

Meanwhile, Fred was also working, and he would probably seriously consider a well-placed _Avada kedavra_ if it meant he could be allowed to be locked away in a small, quiet office like Hermione's. That pile of paperwork in front of her would have made quite a lovely pillow... Instead, he was sitting through a dull meeting with suppliers going through numbers, prices, charts, and graphs. They were dull on the best of days, but today Fred was having trouble just keeping his head from lolling back on his shoulders, let alone pay attention to the droning.

His night had been troubling, to say the least. He hadn't spent quite as much of the night asleep as his twin thought he had. Oh, he had dozed off a time or three, and his nightmares had been far from pleasant, but even awake, the scenes played through his mind over and over again. He wasn't sure there were many ways that his unconscious mind could make the scene more horrific. The whimpers and the tossing and turning that had marked the night had been the product of a mind trapped within the grim confines of itself.

He wasn't even sure when the meeting ended, but he supposed it must have been some time ago, because he was suddenly aware that he was the only person left in the room. He groaned and swiped a hand brusquely over his face. After using the table to drag himself to his feet, he staggered out into the main area of the shop. His twin looked up from the register, took one look at him, and frowned deeply.

George pointed toward the back, where the staircase to their apartment was hidden behind the stockroom. "Go. Get some sleep, you look dead."

Fred nodded, not physically capable of arguing. He changed his course to shuffle into the stockroom and drop the charm from the staircase. Once he reached the top, he actually surprised himself a bit by remembering to recast the charm. The feeling lasted very little – only until he made his way into the hallway and laid eyes on the door to his room. He crawled onto the bed, bone-tired, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, fully dressed above the covers.

FW FW FW

In a cave in the highlands of Scotland, not too far from the caves where Snuffles had hidden, living on rats, a man in a dark cloak paced jerkily across the length of his magically lit cave.

"Not good _enough_!" he snarled angrily at the empty space. Oh, punishing the mudblood had been fun. He'd gotten off on it a time or two, remembering what he'd watched, what he'd orchestrated through that blood traitor Weasley's eyes. Merlin, how he ached, longing to have been able to do the deed himself. A man had needs, no matter his situation. His situation at the present time was certainly... unsavory. He glared at the moldy ceiling in irritation. It was too fucking _wet_ here. The damp was rotting his brain. Or perhaps insanity really was catching? He growled and flicked his wand at the wall. The red sparks ricocheted off the stone and fizzled prettily on the damp floor. He paused. Maybe it wasn't all bad. He did it again, grinning slightly.

His reflection grinned up at him from a small pool in the rocks. He scowled and ran to stomp in it. "Soon..." he muttered to himself, no longer talking to the walls. He stared into the pool at his feet. The water puddled around his worn old shoes, creeping in a few places to soak his feet. (He had what appeared to be a very lively colony of fungus living underneath his toenails that he would love for a mediwitch to take a look at – preferably a young thing with a tiny waist and huge tits. He drooled unbecomingly, imagining how she would look at him while she slowly unbuttoned her robes to show him. His hand trailed southward, starting to stroke himself through his trousers.)

A rat scurrying along the cave floor roused him from his fantasy and he snapped his arms to his sides, apologizing to the air. "I became distracted! Needs... a man has needs, my lord... It will happen soon and then they will know just how 'dead' the Dark Lord truly is!"

A/N: I truly appreciate the support I've received for this story so far! I do apologize for my incredibly short chapters – it's just how I prefer to write. Some questions for you to answer in your reviews (That lovely little box down there makes it oh so easy to do!): Your favorite line in this chapter? Your favorite character so far? Who do you think the mystery man in the cave is? What do you think he's plotting?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions!


	4. Scream

Scream

Fred jolted awake as the door to the apartment slammed shut.

"Fred!" George yelled. "Wake up, I've got news you're not gonna like!"

Fred groaned loudly and rolled over, dragging his pillow over his head. George appeared in the doorway.

"Really, mate, this is big. Get up." He crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed as Fred rubbed his face and sat up groggily.

"Wha's'at?" he slurred. Had he been less asleep, he would have taken note of his twin's stiffened posture and tense face.

"I've just received an official owl. Those buffoons at the ministry have passed a law. It goes into effect immediately. As of today, every witch and wizard have exactly one month to get married to a partner of the ministry's choosing."

Fred stared blankly, dread creeping into the pit of his stomach. "Say what?"

"Matches should be out by dinner time," George growled. "So we can start working on locking ourselves away for life as soon as possible."

"Arranged marriages? But why...?"

"Officially, the reason is re-population. The law goes on to state that each couple is required to consummate the marriage within eight hours of the binding ceremony under punishment of having their wands snapped. Oh, and we've also got to 'have sexual intercourse' a minimum of once per week. We're being turned into breeding stock," George stated bitterly.

"Merlin," breathed Fred. "We've gotta be married to mystery women within the month... _Fuck_."

HG HG HG

Hermione was still at work when the official owl found her. She looked at the owl in confusion as she took the thick envelope from its beak. Before the first owl had had a chance to get out the window, a second ministry owl shoved its way inside. This envelope was considerably smaller. She screwed up her forehead in confusion. Had she broken some law? Was she being summoned to court?

She shook her head and opened the first, thick envelope. As her eyes scanned the document, she could feel her lunch coming up. She shoved her chair back from her desk and made a dash for the lady's room down the hall. She barely managed to get inside and shut the door before her sandwich made a reappearance. She was panicking, and she knew it. She had only managed to get to the section describing the law concerning consummation of the marriage. She had been raped just last night. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours, and she was already being told she would have to allow a man to do..._that_.. to her again entirely too soon for her liking. And she wouldn't even be allowed to choose the man.

She assumed that was what the second envelope contained. Her fate. She wanted to rip into a million pieces and burn it. Instead, she vanished the mess in the toilet and cleaned her teeth. Getting slowly to her feet, she crossed to the mirror on the wall, taking a long look at herself. Her eyes were wild and she looked a bit pale, but she was decent. Shakily, she left the restroom and walked back to her office, using the wall for support.

She lowered herself into her chair and pushed the first envelope aside for now – she could finish reading the fine print later. For now, she wanted to know who she was to be bound to for the rest of her life. What torture had the ministry inflicted on her for this life? Holding the smaller envelope in her hands in front of her, she stared at it, willing it to burst into flames.

Hermione took a deep breath and opened the envelope. She pulled out the parchment and scanned the document, ignoring the official nonsense for now, and just looking for the name. Her heart stopped beating and she nearly passed out.

_Fred Weasley._

FW FW FW

They closed the shop early and headed home to the Burrow. Clearly the news had reached the Weasley residence, because the house was in an uproar. Ginny was yelling at Percy, who had apparently been summoned for the occasion, while his mum and dad were whispering heatedly in the corner. Ron was sitting in a chair staring despondently at the fireplace, and Harry was scowling at his clenched fists.

George asked mildly to the room at large, "Has anyone actually received their matches yet?"

Silence fell and all eyes were drawn to Ron, who held up the parchment wordlessly for George to read. His eyebrows rose and he snorted. "Well that's not so bad. Kids may be a bit batty, but you've got off easy. There're worse birds out there than Luna Lovegood."

"George!" Mrs. Weasley chastised.

"What? He could've been stuck with that Brown girl," he pointed out.

Ron shrugged halfheartedly, but he didn't appear quite so dejected.

George looked around. "Anyone else then?" Heads shook around the room. "Well then. Guess we'll all just settle in to wait. Anyone for Exploding Snap?"

HG HG HG

Hermione was hyperventilating. Her heart was racing and her breath was coming short. She crouched on the floor and put her head between her knees, trying to take deep breaths. Fred Weasley. She kept seeing his name on the parchment. _How_ could any reasonable person expect her to go within ten feet of him _ever_ again, let alone within the month. Dear Merlin, she had to have willing sex with him. Fuck, fuck, FUCK. Maybe leaving the wizarding world wouldn't be so bad? She could get her degree in physics and go on to be quite successful.

She scrapped the idea instantly. As terrified as she was, she couldn't do that to Fred. If she backed out, he was left with no choice. Magic was all he had ever known. Muggle fanatic though his father was, he would wouldn't survive in the muggle world. She had to do this. She was a grown woman. She _could_ do this.

"I _will_ do this," she muttered to herself. "We'll find a way..."

The door to her office burst open and Mr. Robinson stepped in. "Miss Granger I need to talk to you about..." He looked around for her, his face twisting when he found her crouched on the floor. "What the hell are you doing there? I don't pay you to take naps!" He stepped forward to grab her arm and haul her to her feet.

Her mind flashed back to the previous night – his body on hers, holding her down, violating her. She shrieked and lashed out, punching her boss squarely in the face. He staggered back, his face registering shock, as his hand went halfway to his face, which was already starting to turn purple.

"Oh, god, Mr. Robinson I am _so_ sorry!" She stared in horror as his blood pressure raised and his face turned a violent shade of purple.

"Miss Granger, you are _fired_!" he screamed, spittle blowing from his mouth – she flinched as it sprayed her face.

"Sir, please, you don't understand, I - "

"I said you are _fired_! Sacked! Gone! Gather your things and _get out!_" He turned on his heel and marched out of her office, leaving her staring at his retreating back.

As the shock wore off, her lip began to quiver. She threw the door shut and whipped out her wand, gathering her things hastily with magic and shrinking them down to fit inside her pocket. Tears began to flow down her cheeks as she rode down the lift and snuck out the back door. She apparated to the Burrow, collapsed on her bum in the front yard, her legs splayed around her, and sobbed.

The last twenty-four hours had been entirely too full of heartbreak. Why couldn't it just _stop_?

FW FW FW

He saw her collapse in the yard, and his heart ached for her. He had done that. He wanted to make it right, to go out and comfort her, but he knew very well that she was terrified of him. He would only make it worse. She had probably received her letter from the ministry, he realized. He wondered if she knew who she had been paired with yet.

A trio of owls swooped low, gliding through the open window. Everyone tensed and moved into action simultaneously. Mrs. Weasley got to them first and called out names. "Harry! Yours is here! Ginny! And Fred... your matches have arrived." She handed them to their recipients.

Fred and Harry stared at theirs apprehensively. Ginny, however, showed no such restraint and ripped hers open immediately, squealing when she got to the name at the bottom of the page. "Harry!" she exclaimed, jumping into his arms and kissing him soundly. The Boy-Who-Lived grinned dopily and wrapped his arms around her waist, just this once not too shy to show affection in front of his girlfriend's father. They weren't being split up, and he was damned glad.

Well that was dandy for them, Fred thought. He stared down at the envelope. He could feel George's eyes burning holes into his forehead. He looked up to meet his twin's eyes, gaining strength from him. George nodded to him, and he took in a deep breath. Holding it in, he slipped the envelope open and pulled out the parchment.

He dropped the page and staggered backward, feeling his way to a chair. His mouth dropped open in shock and horror, his eyes wide. George was by his side in a second, helping him into a seat.

"Who is it, Fred?"

Fred just shook his head over and over, as if that would make it less true.

George picked up the parchment and swore loudly. Mrs. Weasley didn't even have the heart to scold him. He looked up to meet his mother's eyes as he announced to the room, "He's got Hermione."

HG HG HG

By the time Hermione made it into the house, Percy had also received his match – none other than Marietta Edgecombe, the girl who probably still had the word "sneak" written over her face.

"Hermione, dear, have you received your match?" Mrs. Weasley asked first thing as she entered the sitting room.

She nodded tightly. "Yes. I've also been sacked. It's been a lovely day," she announced as she sank into an armchair by the fireplace.

"Sacked?" Fred spoke up. "What for?"

Hermione tried not to look at him as she answered. "I... I punched my boss," she admitted. "In the face..."

George gaped at her. "Blimey, Hermione, what for?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "I, er, had some difficulty coming to terms with this new law and was in the midst of coping with that. He grabbed my arm and I... panicked for a moment." There was uncomfortable silence as those who understood the implications shifted and looked at each other. "So who's gotten their matches?" She hoped Fred had received the owl already. She did not want to be present when he got the news.

"I have," he croaked, in answer to her unspoken question. She bit her lip, her insides twisting, and nodded.

She was filled in on the other matches, and tried to ignore the fear and discomfort like a snake in her gut. They all spent the evening attempting to alleviate the tension while they waited for the match of their last member – George.

A/N: What do you think the fine print of that lovely law will turn out to be? Any guesses for George's future wifey? Predictions for how Fred and Hermione will proceed? Hope you all have a lovely day! :)


	5. Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

He fastened his pants and prodded the body with his foot. He really did love to watch the light leave their eyes as he pummeled their still-warm bodies. This one had been a pretty young thing, too. It was just too bad he'd had to punish her for cavorting with that muggle boy. Merlin, and the way she'd screamed... He shivered and eyed her body speculatively. He shook his head. No, he had other things to be done tonight. There were things to be gathered, tasks to be accomplished.

With a final wistful glance at her body going cold on the floor he exited her apartment, a spring in his step. "_Morsmordre_," he whispered, brandishing his wand toward the sky above the building. He grinned and apparated away, leaving a dark street behind him, lit only by the grim symbol of evil above.

GW GW GW

George Weasley had found himself in a very awkward situation. His match had arrived just as the family had been sitting down for dinner. And thus, he found himself paired with the woman with whom, until very recently, his twin had been romantically involved. Angelina Johnson was quite the witch in bed, he'd been told (very rarely were there secrets kept between the twins), but that was hardly a trait on which to base an entire relationship – especially one which was to last the rest of their lives. However, he considered himself lucky.

Which brought him to the other, rather more awkward situation he found himself in. He sat on the couch in their apartment above the shop between his twin and his sister-in-law to be. The two were attempting to talk about what was going to have to happen between the two of them, but it wasn't going well. Hermione was afraid to be in a room alone with Fred, and Fred was so ashamed of what had happened that he was permanently red-faced and entirely too quiet.

He sighed. "Okay you two. I do realize that things have happened that are going to make this ridiculously difficult for you both. But you're going to have to get used to each other. Hermione, you're going to have to learn to trust Fred again. Fred, you're going to have to come to terms with the fact that what happened was not your fault. I'm going to state this bluntly for both your benefits. You are going to have to have sex with each other at least once a week for the rest of your lives – or at least a few years. You'd better get to the point that you can at least look at each other. So right now, I'm going to head over to Angelina's place to get a few things ironed out ourselves. You two can do whatever you want to do, but I'd suggest talking, and maybe giving Hermione a tour, since I assume she'll be moving in here."

She shot Fred a panicked look, and he nodded. "Unless she's got another preference."

George shot him an acidic look.

"Oh! Sorry..." He looked to Hermione. "Unless you have another preference."

She shook her head quickly. "I've nowhere else to go."

"Right then, that's got things started nicely." George stood up and crossed the room to the fireplace. "Play nice, children." A flash of green in the fireplace and he was gone, leaving the two of them alone.

For a moment, the silence was deafening.

"Fred, I am terrified," she confessed. "I have no idea how I got like this, or how to fix it. I am going to do my best to get over this, but you're going to have to be patient with me." She bit her lip and looked down at her hands clasped in her lap.

Fred moved very slowly toward her, reaching out to grab her shoulder. She flinched and leaned away from him slightly, and he could see her breathing accelerate, but she managed not to pull away completely. "I realize that. We can take things as slow as you want to. Well, as slow as we can with what the ministry has commanded."

Hermione shook her head. "I want to get this over with. The longer we wait, the more the dread is going to build and drag out, and I don't think I can take it." She glanced up at him. "Is that okay with you?"

Her answer honestly surprised him. "Are you sure there's no way out of this law?"

She laughed mirthlessly. "No. We're good and stuck. This thing is air tight. Have you read it?"

He shook his head.

"It's worded and designed to make us – the women – your slaves. There's a fidelity charm put into every marriage, but it's not an equal sided charm. The man can do whatever the hell he pleases. The woman, however, is to be loyal only to her husband. But the charm specifies that the fidelity charm only punishes for willing intercourse. You what that means, don't you?"

His eyes widened. "No way they did that..."

"Yes. They've made it completely possible and probable for rape to occur frequently and unpunished," she announced grimly.

Fred sat back against the couch cushions. "Lovely."

"Anyway, back to what I was saying before. Is next week too soon for you?"

"Next week?" He took a moment to wrap his head around the concept.

"Yes. Tuesday?" she asked expectantly.

"Wait, you mean three days from now?" he asked, shocked. He couldn't believe how quickly she had come to terms with this.

She nodded. "Is that okay?"

He nodded weakly. "Mum's going to have a field day. But yes, Tuesday is fine. I'll take the day off work and we can... er... you know. Get this done."

"Don't worry about the.. the sex. I've already got that covered. For both of us." She stumbled over the word. How could she be discussing this so calmly? Merlin, had it only been yesterday? This time next week, she would be a married woman, required to have weekly sex with the man who had violated her so violently. With the _body_ that had violated her so violently, she corrected herself. It had not been the man who had done so. She shivered nervously.

"Hermione?" Fred repeated.

She shook herself from her daze. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked if you'd like a tour of the apartment."

"Oh. Yes, please."

She had been quite right about the enlargement charms on the apartment. The place really was huge for the two of them. Three bedrooms, two full bathrooms off each of the matching master suites (on opposite ends of the apartment, equipped with silencing charms, Hermione noted to herself), with a half bath for guests. The kitchen was large and fully stocked, and she suspected of them of being fully capable of cooking very nice meals, but of being too lazy to consistently do so. There was a private lab tucked away in a corner, heavily warded to prevent accidents from damaging the rest of the building.

Fred stood in the doorway watching as she nervously inspected his bedroom, closet, and bathroom. She lifted an eyebrow appreciatively at the large, jetted jacuzzi tub built into the bathroom floor and found herself eager to try it out, despite the horrible situation. She wandered back into the bedroom and her eyes settled on the large queen sized bed.

"Fred?" she asked timidly. "Are we going to... sleep together? Actually sleep, I mean."

"We don't have to," he said gently. "I am more than willing, and perfectly capable of conjuring another bed."

She shot him an appreciative smile. "Thank you. I... don't know if I could..."

"I know," he answered quickly.

"Were you a virgin, before?" she blurted. The silencing charms on the bedrooms had piqued her curiosity.

He hesitated, then shook his head slowly. "No... Angelina and I... She lived here for a while," he told her truthfully.

"But George..?"

Fred laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah. I imagine they're over there right now staring at each other and bursting out into fits of giggles. The idea of them together is just... weird. But I think they'll be good for each other. They know one another already."

It hung unspoken in the air that the two of them, despite how closely their lives had been entwined, knew almost nothing about each other.

"I guess we'll have the rest of forever for that," Hermione said softly, looking down at her hands.

Fred crossed the room slowly, giving her plenty of time to tell him to stay away, back off, to stop. She stared at him, mesmerized, with big eyes. Wary, but not asking him to stop. Finally, when he was within arm's length of her, he stopped, watching her face. Fear graced her features, but she still didn't tell him to back off. He reached out to take both her hands. She flinched violently, but she schooled herself quickly and stood still. He didn't really want to push things, but hell they were getting married in three days. There really wasn't much time for going slow. Slowly, he twined their fingers together and pulled her toward him. She bit her lip and followed where he lead her. Her body was centimeters from his, her breathing making her heaving breasts touch his chest lightly.

"Tell me if I'm going too far," he muttered as he brought his hand to her cheek, caressing it lightly with his thumb. He inched his face down toward hers, searching her dark eyes as he did so. He could read fear there, threatening to overflow, but he also found a hint of curiosity. Hermione Granger was nothing if not curious. She was also a strong, determined woman, and she had decided to do this. His lips touched hers gently, and he tasted her for the first time.

Instantly, her body tensed and she brought her hands to his chest to push him away. He backed off immediately, his hands in the air. "I'm sorry," he apologized.

"No," she corrected him. "You didn't do anything wrong. That was me. Just... too fast. We'll get there." She smiled tightly. "Don't worry, we'll both be okay for the wedding day. I've got a plan for that, but I won't tell you what it is, so don't ask me."

"Aye aye, sir," he said, grinning lopsidedly. "Now, you are marrying the co-owner of a very successful shop, so, Hermione," he said seriously, "if you need anything – _anything_ – please, just ask. Or hell, I'll just give you joint access to my account. You're not the type to spend all my money, are you?"

She smiled at him, a genuine smile, and answered, "Your money is perfectly safe with me, Fred. Though I regret that I'll have very nearly nothing to contribute."

"Nonsense," he corrected her. "If you're agreeable, George and I are quite willing to offer you a position on our research team. Finding a witch of your particular qualifications is rather rare, and we are very happy to make use of your skills."

Hermione was acutely embarrassed that her eyes began to water. She swiped at them irritably. "Really? Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Of course. If we can't employ my brilliant, talented wife to be, who can we employ?"

Despite the progress they had made, Hermione felt a thrill of real terror sweep through her at the thought of being his wife. She whimpered involuntarily, and he cringed.

Merlin, this was going to be rough.

"Why don't we go downstairs and I can show you how to access the staircase from the storeroom? I can also add you to the wards on the lab, since you'll be spending some time in there. The ones on the apartment will adjust automatically – they detect intent – but the wards on the lab are specifically keyed to certain people."

Hermione bit her lip and nodded mutely. Fred sighed and led the way out.

A/N: Hello folks! What did you all think of the chapter? I hope the lot of you realize that I've been depriving myself of sleep for the sake of this story. For a full-time college student who also works full-time I consider that pretty awesome. Awesome that great deserves a great review right? Wonderful, I'm glad you agree! I've even included some handy questions for you to answer if you can't come up with original stuff! Here they are!

Does anybody have a guess for Hermione's wedding night plans? Who's the witch that the mystery man got? Any guesses for the mystery Death Eater's identity?


	6. Wasteland

Wasteland

"Ginny?"

The girl in question looked up from her place on the couch at the sound of her name. "Yeah, Hermione?"

Hermione stood awkwardly in the doorway staring at her wringing hands. "Can we go somewhere? I need to talk to you about something..."

Ginny put down the book she had been reading and stood up, watching her friend's face cautiously. "Sure. Where did you have in mind?"

"Doesn't matter," she muttered. "Just somewhere private."

"Is the lake okay?"

"No!" Hermione jerked her head up, eyes wide in alarm. "Not there."

The red head blinked in surprise, but nodded. "Okay, somewhere else then. C'mon."

She led the way out to the old tree under which Hermione had had her meltdown just days ago. It had been three days since the law had been announced, and the family's first wedding was scheduled for tomorrow. Hermione and Fred. Ginny knew something had happened between them. Hermione had changed, as had Fred. Hermione was not normally the timid creature that she had become as of late. Ginny hoped that her soon to be sister-in-law would fill her in today. As she sat down underneath the shade of the wizened tree, she realized that her hopes were correct.

"I... I have to tell you what happened," Hermione began, not looking at her friend. "You're my best friend and I can't keep it from you." She stared off at the garden wall to her left, not really seeing it. "Fred was imperiused."

A sinking feeling started in the pit of Ginny's stomach.

"He raped me."

The silence between them hung heavy. Ginny truly had no idea what to say. What do you say when you find out that your brother was forced to rape your best friend, who he's being forced to marry the next day?

"Oh, hell, Hermione, I'm so sorry. No wonder you've been so distant lately. And merlin, that the ministry would pair the two of you..." Her voice drifted off. "What about the marriage? You.. You're going to have to consummate it you know."

Hermione nodded once, glancing at Ginny briefly. "I know. I've got a plan for that. We'll be alright for the wedding night. It's afterward that I'm worried for. My method... isn't safe for prolonged use. What about next week? How about the week after that? After that? I don't know how to do this, Ginny." Her voice choked and she stopped speaking.

"You don't have to get married tomorrow," Ginny reminded her gently. "You could wait a while. You've got a month to get used to each other a little more."

"No." She shook her head. "If I don't do this now before I think too much about it, I might not be able to go through with it. Fred terrifies me... But I could never do that to him."

They sat avoided each others gaze for a moment before Ginny wondered aloud, "Who did it?"

Hermione sighed. "We don't know. The aurors believe it was a rogue Death Eater still on the loose, but they don't have any leads on who it might be. Fred and I are both big targets, it could have been anyone."

Ginny nodded. "You know I'm here for you, Hermione. If you ever need me to do something for you, or you just need an ear to listen, you know I'm here." She reached across to where the older girl was sitting and took her hands, squeezing them firmly. "You know I love you like my sister already, right?"

The brunette gave her a watery smile. "I know. You've always been so good to me, Ginny." She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Thank you."

FW FW FW

Fred woke an hour before his alarm and laid in bed staring at the ceiling. His stomach was rolling and he fought not to run to the toilet for a good hurl. He looked over across the room at the other bed now occupying the space, reminding him. He was getting married today. He really hoped Hermione's plan for their wedding night was solid. He didn't think he could go through with it in his normal state. The thought of her in his bed staring up at him with those wide terrified eyes made him sick to his stomach. He was no virgin – he knew just how mind blowing sex could be, but this was just wrong. Sick. And wrong.

The ceremony was to be held in the back garden of the Burrow. It was going to be a simple affair, just the Weasleys and fiances, performed by the ministry appointed official. Immediately afterward, there would be a short lunch, then the newly married couple would floo back here to get it over with. Do the deed. George would be staying at the Burrow. No distractions. Just the two of them in his house. _Their_ house. His stomach heaved and he squeezed his eyes shut.

He would get through this. They would get through this.

HG HG HG

The ceremony was as short and simple as they had planned. The vows were generic, cut and dry, reminding them both that wizarding marriages were for life. There was no escaping after this. They consented and that was it. No "You may kiss the bride" or anything. A simple "You are now joined" and they were done. That was it. It was done. For life.

Hermione stared across the small makeshift altar at her new husband, her mind remarkably blank, considering the magnitude of what had just transpired. She felt him take her hand and lead her down toward their family and she felt a stab through her heart that her parents could not be there. It was a sham of a marriage, but it was still the only one she would ever get, and they had not been there to attend. She had no idea where they were at all. Tears sprung to her eyes and she swiped at them with her free hand.

Fred sensed her distress and glanced at her, squeezing her hand and offering her a tentative smile. She tried to smile back, really she did, but she doubted it was much of a success. It was probably more along the lines of the evil monkey in the closet. Molly and Arthur were the first to offer their congratulations, though the new couple could see the sadness and anxiety his parents' eyes.

"Thanks, Molly, Arthur," Hermione said a bit dully.

"Hermione, dear, you're an official member of the Weasley family now. Please call us Mum and Dad." She nodded dumbly. Molly glanced at her husband and cleared her throat. "Well now, shall we go in to the dining room and get started with lunch?"

It was most decidedly not a typical Weasley family meal, due mostly to the fact that Fred was subdued and quiet, which toned things down quite a bit. Only a handful of them knew of the significance of the event, but their unease spread to the others, who were a bit puzzled why the day was such a somber one. Fred and Hermione weren't so unsuited, were they?

The meal ended too quickly and Fred snuck a glance at Hermione, who was fidgeting in her chair beside him. He put his hand over hers on the table. "Shall we?" he murmured quietly for her ears only. "We can wait a bit if you'd like."

She shook her head minutely. "No. Let's get this over with."

Fred stood, pushing his chair back. "Mum, thanks for the meal. It was smashing as always. Hermione and I are going to head out now." He blushed a deep red at the snickering from his older brothers. "We'll see you in the morning for breakfast. Hermione?"

"I just need to run upstairs and grab a few things and we can go." She fled up the stairs and out of sight.

FW FW FW

"Fred? A word in the living room, if you please?" Ginny spoke up.

He looked at her in mild surprise but followed her out of the room.

"I know you are as much of a victim here as Hermione is and I have no idea what she has up her sleeve for today. But please, please, be careful with her. She's so fragile right now. Just the smallest thing might break her. She's strong, but be gentle. That's all. Good luck, Fred." She patted her older brother's arm firmly, and walked out of the room as he stared after her.

That was where Hermione found him. "Fred?" she said tentatively. "I'm ready." She held no luggage of any kind, but Fred assumed that she had shrunken it into her pockets.

He nodded. "Let's go then."

As he took a handful of floo powder and threw it into the fire, uttering the address of their apartment above the shop, his heart rate sped up to an incredible rate. His hands began to shake slightly, and he took a large calming breath as he took Hermione's hand and pulled her into the fireplace with him. Before she could protest, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, protecting her as they spun their way to their new life, because that was his job now.

HW HW HW

As soon as they stopped spinning, Hermione stumbled out of the fireplace away from his embrace. She was panicking more than a little. Just his embrace could send her into a fit of terror, and she had to have sex with him sometime in the next – she glanced at the clock on the wall – six hours. Oh, merlin, her plan had better work.

"Hermione?" Fred asked from behind her. "Are you okay?"

She held up her hand. "Give me a moment. I'll be alright."

He waited until she nodded and turned around to face him. "Would you like for me to show you the new arrangements in my... _our_ room? You can get unpacked if you'd like."

She nodded again. "Yes, please. I'd like that."

He led the way toward the bedroom with a feeling of lead in his stomach. He watched as she looked around the room and her eyes settled on the new bed. She walked slowly toward it, fishing around in her pocket for a small suitcase about the size of a match box. She waved her wand absently at it and he watched as it expanded on top of the bed. She opened it slowly and dug for a moment, re-emerging with two small vials of deep blue liquid.

She turned toward him with a falsely calm expression on her face. "Fred... Would you mind if we just... got this done?"

A/N: Oh my god guys I am so sorry! I know I just fell off the earth for a while! I know you don't want excuses, but let me explain myself! I finished my Associate's Degree! Yay! Then my mother and I made the ridiculously long drive to move to the other side of the country with our car on a trailer and our dog and two cats inside the car on the trailer. It was _quite_ a trip, let me tell you. The cats are thrilled with me. Thennnn I had to find a job and get settled in the house, and get things going with the school here, and then hooray! My wonderful amazing boyfriend from Italy is in the country for a couple months, so I was obviously distracted by that. I love you all, please don't kill me!

Also, anyone catch the Family Guy reference in there? I've been on a Family Guy kick recently.


	7. Psycho

Psycho

**WARNING: LEMONS AHEAD**

_She turned toward him with a falsely calm expression on her face. "Fred... Would you mind if we just... got this done?"_

FW FW FW

Fred froze for a moment, his eyes wide, as a thrill of fear ran through his body. "What, you mean... right now?"

She bit her lip and nodded, her cheeks turning pink. "These vials contain one of the world's strongest lust potions. We won't – shouldn't – have any problems... Why don't we drink them now, then you go run a bath and we'll see from there." Hermione wished she was really as calm as she sounded. Her insides were twisting and her hands were only kept from shaking by the weight of the vials. She had thought long and hard about this and had come to the conclusion that a bath would be the ideal way to proceed. Obviously, they needed to be naked – or at least mostly naked – for this to occur, but in a bath, they could be naked while still feeling somewhat concealed. Though, the lust potion could make that an entirely unnecessary gesture – that was its job after all.

Fred took a deep breath and blew it out through his cheeks. "Okay." He took a few steps toward her and held out his hand. "How much of this do I need to take?"

She licked her dry lips and handed him his vial. "Theoretically it should work with just one sip." She uncorked her vial and took one long swig. After a thoughtful look at it, she took another, just to be safe. Fred raised an eyebrow and did the same.

Almost immediately he started to feel the potion take effect. His eyes widened and a blush spread over his cheeks. He whirled away from her and cleared his throat. "I'll just... go run that bath."

Hermione was feeling starting to feel the potion's effects herself. Her feelings of fear toward Fred were vanishing rapidly, replaced with an intense hunger, and a need so strong she had to restrain herself from lunging at him then and there. "Fred," she said in a mangled voice. "I don't think that's necessary. I think I need you to get back over here."

Fred turned around slowly, a hungry expression in his eyes that sent a chill down her spine. It was not one of fear, however, but one of excitement and desire. He stalked toward her slowly until he was standing directly in front of her body. She reached for him and he lost his control. She squealed as he threw her over his shoulder and practically flew to his bed. Her body hit the mattress with a thump and she stared up at him, her chest heaving with passion. He climbed on top, straddling her with his knees on either side of her body, and grabbed her face with his hands, pulling it up roughly to his own.

Their lips smashed together in a frenzy of teeth and tongue, neither wanting nor caring for gentle. Hermione moaned as his tongue traced the contours of her mouth and took his bottom lip into her mouth, biting down hard. He tasted blood, but in his potion induced state he didn't mind – it excited him further. His hands trailed down her sides and he felt her shiver. He found the bottom of her shirt and started tugging it upward. She pushed him back and sat up, reaching for the hem. Giving him a lusty look as she licked her swollen lips slowly, she pulled her shirt up and over her head, leaving her body exposed save the bra that covered her rather ample breasts. In his dazed state, Fred marveled that he had never noticed how well endowed his new wife was.

Before he had finished drinking in the sight of her, she was pulling at his own shirt impatiently. He let her pull it off of him and pushed her back down onto the bed. Taking a moment to bask in the sight of her panting beneath him, he lowered his mouth to her neck, biting and sucking and licking as he went. Her moans fueled him on and the feel of her squirming body against his already straining erection was driving him mad. He moved lower, his teeth grazing the smooth flesh of her bosom. Her hands found their way into his hair and she arched her back, letting him reach around to unhook her bra. He ripped it from her body and wasted not a single second taking her already erect nipple into his mouth. His fingers alternately plucked and rubbed the other as his mouth worked. Her moans increased and she mumbled his name incoherently into the air at his attentions.

Fred released her nipple with a pop, returning to her mouth momentarily to explore her some more while his fingers fumbled with the clasp of her muggle jeans. Her own hands were busy at his trousers, shoving them down his waist, leaving him wearing just a pair of boxers that profiled his rock hard erection rather nicely. Hermione evidently appreciated the view, if her rather loud groan were anything to judge by. She didn't waste much time at all in stripping him of the rest of his clothing, then flipping him over onto his back. She slid her own jeans off and onto the floor, then rid herself of the last layer of clothing between them.

Her need was so great, she wasted no time in sliding herself down onto his hard cock. They both let out a loud moan at the feeling. Fred could feel her fingernails digging into his flesh, but thought nothing of it, focusing instead on her hot wetness surrounding him. And merlin, was she wet for him. No words were exchanged between them as she began to move atop him. Their gazes locked as he grabbed her waist and thrust upward in rhythm with her movements. Hermione could feel something building inside her, and she wanted it desperately. She had never felt this before. She wanted it explored, and she wanted it now.

"Fred," she gasped. "I need..."

"Yessss," he groaned. "I need it too. Merlin, Hermione, cum for me. Please, you're driving me crazy."

She held out a moment longer before stars burst in her vision and she moaned loud and long, gasping out his name as waves of pleasure racked her body, rolling her along. He felt her clenching around him and groaned, losing himself. He shot his seed into her still shivering body and lay panting underneath her.

He expected the lust potion to fade after its goal was achieved, but he was surprised to find that he felt no negative emotions. He was aware of the circumstances and reasons that he should be apprehensive, sickened, and ashamed, they just failed to matter.

He watched as Hermione slowly came out of her orgasmic daze. She pulled herself away from his body and threw herself down onto the bed beside him, still breathing heavily. "Do you feel anything?" he asked.

She shook her head slowly. "Nothing. Maybe it's long acting. Maybe it's the extra dose we took." She giggled. "I'm actually considering that bath now." She turned to stare at him seductively. "Care to join me?"

That lust potion must have been some serious drug because his body was already recovering from the first round and preparing for the second. He licked his lips and nodded mutely. She slid from the bed and sashayed slowly across the room, giving him a full view of her naked body, to which his own responded readily. He leaped from the bed and followed her to the bathroom, where he found her leaning over the faucet of the bathtub. His mouth ran dry at the view afforded him and took the few steps toward her to run his hands down her sides.

She shivered, but did not turn around. The water started running into the tub and she bent further to check the temperature. He let out a groan and grabbed her hips, pulling her flush against his body.

"You are an extremely sexy little witch, you know that?" he breathed into her ear.

Hermione wiggled her rear end a bit, rubbing against the erection pressed against her body in response. He moaned loudly and reached down the front of her body to find the sensitive little nub nestled between her legs. His lips found her neck as he began to stroke and pluck at her clit in just the way he knew would drive her crazy. She laid her head back against his shoulder as she moaned his name and he stopped suddenly, stepping away from her and sliding into the tub, which was now more than half full. With lustful eyes, she followed him down into the water, not paying the least bit of attention to the warmth she would otherwise have enjoyed.

"Two can play that game, Mr Weasley."

She reached into the water to find his erect member, running her fingers along it slowly. He let out a noise curiously close to a whimper and thrust upward unconsciously. She chuckled lowly and continued her attentions, one hand straying down to the balls nestled below.

"Fuck," he breathed, closing his eyes and laying his head back.

HW HW HW

The lust potion turned out to be much stronger than Hermione had anticipated. The pair copulated more times than she would ever admit to a living soul. The potion did have the positive effect of making their wedding day highly enjoyable for the both of them. They were finishing up their latest round of consummation as the sun was setting and Hermione laid her head on her new husband's chest with a sigh.

"I'm sorry I miscalculated the strength of that potion. We're going to be wrecked tomorrow, aren't we?"

Fred laughed lowly. "Probably. But I swear I don't mind. We never would have been able to have a decent day without it. Just, next time, let's not take a double dose, okay?"

"Got it. We can't use it often though, you know. The substance is supposed to be highly addictive, and if used regularly, can have extremely adverse effects on the liver. We can't use it even once every month. Every other month is probably pushing the limit," she informed him.

He kissed the top of her head gently. "We'll manage, I'm sure. It won't be this easy, but I'm sure it at least took the edge off a bit right?"

She nodded. "I'm sure."

Conversation drifted, and Hermione let out a yawn, cuddling deeper against her husband. Fred wasn't sure it was wise for her to fall asleep naked in his bed, but he couldn't bring himself to object. So he wrapped his arms around her and went to sleep beside his wife.

A/N: There! I disappeared for months on end and now you get two chapters in one go. And it was a lemon-filled chapter too. Please leave me some nice happy juicy reviews because I love you and you love me too.


	8. Something to Remind You

Scream

Hermione yawned hugely and stretched, wincing at the aches in her legs and lower back. Her eyes snapped open and she became suddenly aware of the arm thrown over her waist – and of the body pressed against her back. She stiffened, a wave of terror crashing over her, stifling her senses. Fred's sleeping form mumbled incoherently and pulled her closer. She squeaked in fear and threw his arm off her body, which she noticed with dread was completely nude.

Fred startled awake and was instantly aware of the terrified young woman on the other side of the bed, trying desperately to get as far from him as possible without exposing herself. He scooted to the far end away from her. "Sorry, Hermione." She nodded mutely, staring at him with wide eyes. He cleared his throat groggily. "Guess that potion's worn off..."

"Yes," she agreed. "I... er.. Could you look away for a moment?"

"Oh! Yes, sorry." Fred turned to face the opposite way so she could get out of the bed. He felt the mattress dip as she stood and heard the footsteps as she made her way across the room to her suitcase. She rustled around for a moment, then disappeared into the bathroom. He heard the door close with a click.

Groaning, Fred moved to get dressed himself before she made a reappearance. He cursed violently at his body's natural morning reaction, and stomped to his wardrobe for clean clothes. After he had gotten himself decent, he moved to the kitchen to rummage for a bit of pre-Burrow breakfast. Settling on a bagel and some orange juice, he munched quietly. It was strange, he remembered every detail from the day before, and he remembered them positively, but he felt the same reluctance to repeat them as he had before their wedding. Hermione had said that they would be unable to use the potion for at least a month or so, and Fred was entirely clueless how to proceed until then. Deciding not to dwell on it just then, he shrugged and glanced toward the bedroom door. Hermione had still not emerged and Fred was starting to become concerned.

He walked cautiously toward the bedroom, knocking on the door softly. "Hermione?" There was no answer, so he pushed open the door and glanced around. Not finding her there, he assumed that she must still be in the bathroom. Sighing, he went to knock on that door. "Hermione... You okay in there?" His heart sank as he heard a stifled sob. "I hope you're dressed, because I'm coming in."

He cast a quick unlocking spell on the door and entered the room, closing the door again behind him. She was sitting with her back against the bathtub, her knees against her chest. Her eyes were red and she refused to look at him as he approached slowly. Lowering himself onto the floor beside her, he reached out gently to wrap his arms around her and pull her into his chest. She stiffened, but he murmured quietly to her, incoherent nothings, and she started to relax.

"It's okay, Hermione. I'm here with you. I.. I know I'm not the most ideal person to be with right now, but I'll do my best to make things better. Just tell me what I need to do..."

She shook her head. "It's not you, really, you've been wonderful. It's the whole situation. I'm a bit overwhelmed by... by yesterday, what we did... I don't know how we'll do that next week. Just thinking about it makes me sick. I don't want you to lose your magic because of me." Her voice choked and she hid her face. She new she looked a mess when she cried.

"Hey, we'll find a way right? There are other methods. We could try maybe a less powerful potion, just to take the edge off. Or we could always go the old fashioned way and get ourselves good and drunk and not remember a thing the next day." He jostled her with his shoulder suggestively and despite herself, she giggled a bit at the thought of the two of them stumbling around roaring drunk. "We'll be okay, I promise."

She nodded, finding herself believing him. She sniffled. "We'd probably better get to the Burrow before they send a search party."

Fred snorted. "George is probably dying to know if he'll be forced to live the rest of his life alone and Mum is probably having fits."

Sighing, Hermione nodded. "Thank you, Fred." She pulled herself away from him and to her feet. Offering her hand to help him up, she said "Let's go then."

FW FW FW

The moment they stepped out of the floo, they were set upon by Fred's other half. George grabbed his brother up in a bear hug. "Fred! So good to see you! I missed you so much!" he declared dramatically.

Fred grinned and rolled his eyes at Hermione over his brother's shoulder. "Worry not, Georgey, you'll not have to endure the years without the company of your better looking twin."

George staggered backward and clutched his hand to his chest, "Oh, what a relief that is to hear, my dear brother! What would poor Angelina do if she had only me to cast her eyes upon through the years?"

"Speaking of Angelina, when's the big day, hmm?"

"We've decided to follow your example and do this quickly before the scheduling gets cramped with the ministry officials. We're getting married tomorrow!" George announced.

Hermione noticed with interest that Fred seemed genuinely happy for his twin when he offered his congratulations. Strange, for a man who had been dating the girl just a few months prior. She shrugged.

Molly appeared in the doorway. "Hermione, Fred!" She bustled over and hugged them each in turn. "I thought I heard a commotion out here." She inspected each of them with a critical eye, her eyebrows raising when she found a few love bites and various other marks across each of their necks, but said nothing in regard to it. "Hermione, could I have a word with you in the kitchen?"

Hermione blinked in surprise, but nodded. "Of course, Mrs. Weasley."

"Call me Mum, dear," Molly corrected.

"Oh, yes, I'd forgotten, sorry." She followed her new mother-in-law into the kitchen curiously.

Molly leaned against a counter top and eyed Hermione speculatively. "I notice that you're both still wand-bearing magical citizens," she began conversationally.

Hermione blushed but nodded.

"You're also both sporting quite a few... marks... of your activities, so I'll assume all went well."

Her mouth dropped open and her hands flew to her neck. "Oh, merlin, I didn't even notice. I was, er, preoccupied this morning."

Molly raised an eyebrow.

"No, no," Hermione corrected quickly. "I.. uh... drugged us yesterday. A lust potion. It was worn off this morning and we found ourselves in a rather awkward situation..." Her voice trailed off.

Understanding lit in the older woman's eyes, and she nodded. "I see. Well, let me cover those up for you." She waved her wand vaguely over Hermione's form. "It wouldn't do for Charlie to see those. You would never hear the end of it. Go out and send Fred in here, would you, dear? His will need to be done as well."

Hermione blushed again and nodded, scurrying out of the kitchen.

FW FW FW

As soon as Hermione had left with their mother, the twins hurried into a corner and began whispering to each other.

"Well?" asked George. "How did it go?"

Fred's eyes rolled up into his head. "Merlin," he breathed. "She had us drink a lust potion. Its effects.. er... lasted about eight hours."

George burst into laughter. "You're kidding."

Fred shook his head. "We won't be able to use the stuff often because it's so potent. She really outdid herself with that one." He paused. "But the thing is... the feelings from before are still there. I don't know if I can have sex with my wife without outside help. I know she couldn't have sex with me without help. When we woke up this morning... Merlin, it was awful. She locked herself in the loo and had a meltdown."

George clapped his twin on the shoulder. "It'll get better, mate. Merlin, eight hours... How many times did you...?"

Fred actually had the good form to blush. "Er... I'd rather not say."

George's laughter filled the room.

"Alright, how about you then? Have you and Angelina done the deed yet?"

George winked at his brother. "You, dear brother of mine, were not exaggerating about her sexual prowess. The bird's got some moves."

It was Fred's turn to laugh. "You've got me to thank for some of those, mate. Though I can't take all the credit. She's a fox, that one is."

"Got that right," George agreed.

A throat was cleared from the doorway. "Hermione!" George exclaimed. "My apologies dearest sister, I was so busy fussing over my poor ugly brother that I failed to bid you a good morning." He bowed low. "Good morning, my lady!"

Hermione smiled wryly. "Good morning to you too, George. Fred, your mother would like to see you in the kitchen."

"Oh, merlin, am I in trouble?" he groaned.

"She, er, wants to get rid of... certain.. marks about your person before Charlie comes down for breakfast."

George guffawed loudly, inspecting his brother closer. "Great circe, she's right, mate, you've got quite a collection of love bites there." He winked cheekily at Hermione, who blushed red and stumbled out of the room mumbling an excuse about finding a seat at the table before it got crowded. He turned back to Fred. "And is that a bite mark I see on your lip?"

Fred flipped his twin the bird and headed off to the kitchen to see his mother.

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Breakfast was a much more typical affair than lunch the previous day had been. The twins were up to their usual tricks, and the tension around the table was much less than it had been. Hermione felt that a weight had been lifted from her chest, however temporarily. An owl pecked at the window and Molly bustled to her feet to let it in.

"Must be the Prophet," she announced. After paying the owl, she unrolled the paper and glanced at the front page. A gasp fell from her lips and she dropped the paper onto the table.

There, on the front page, was a blown up picture of the Dark Mark shining brightly above a muggle neighborhood. The headline read "**CHO CHANG FOUND DEAD IN HOME, YOU-KNOW-WHO'S MARK SEEN AGAIN.**"

A/N: Surprise! I posted a link on my profile to the play list on Youtube that I write to if anyone is interested in reading to it. Please leave me a review guys! This is chapter number three that I've given you folks in two short days, so I think I deserve a good review or two. Reviews keep me writing!


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